Jowles, do you think that shooters and non-shooters are guarded the same? It’s a simple fact that open jump shots are made at a higher rate than contested ones, so there’s only one way to believe that floor spacing is irrelevant to offense, and that’s to think that every player is guarded in the same way, which is of course completely preposterous.

I’m sort of baffled about all of the confusion with what Melo has said. It seems extremely straightforward and simple.

Here’s what he’s said:

1. He doesn’t need another max contract.
2. He wants to become a free agent.
3. He wants to win an NBA championship.
4. He’d prefer playing in New York.

He’s not opting out so he can sign a bigger deal with the Knicks. If he doesn’t opt-out, he doesn’t have the opportunity to explore other options until 2015. If he was dead-set on staying with the Knicks, he wouldn’t opt out. If he was dead-set on making the most money, he wouldn’t have emphasized his willingness to take a pay cut.

So then how can you say he is being straightforward and simple when he says “My first priority is to stay”?

Clearly, as you note, it is not his first priority or else he’d just opt in.

Why, then, is he not opting in? What possible purpose does it serve him to become a free agent if he wants to stay in New York? What could they possibly tell him after he becomes a free agent that they couldn’t already tell him now?

“First priority” to me means his first choice is to sign with the Knicks. Priority is not the best word to convey the most accurate meaning. But if he were to say his first “choice” is to re-sign with the Knicks, sure it would be less ambiguous, but it would also open him up to more criticism, because it signifies a weaker commitment to the Knicks, therefore his teammates, blah blah blah.

It’s a sort of clever way of saying he’s committed to the Knicks without also lying. That doesn’t mean he’s not committed to the Knicks, just not committed to the Knicks long-term to the extent of not allowing himself the chance to see if there are better options.

I’m not saying whether he or anyone else debated which word to use. I wouldn’t be surprised either way.

In other words, he would prefer re-signing in New York, but there are other choices. He does not have other choices if he doesn’t opt out.

One can want to stay in New York and also want to have other choices. One can love his job and want to see if there’s a better one.

“First priority” to me means his first choice is to sign with the Knicks. Priority is not the best word to convey the most accurate meaning. But if he were to say his first “choice” is to re-sign with the Knicks, sure it would be less ambiguous, but it would also open him up to more criticism, because it signifies a weaker commitment to the Knicks, therefore his teammates, blah blah blah.

It’s a sort of clever way of saying he’s committed to the Knicks without also lying. That doesn’t mean he’s not committed to the Knicks, just not committed to the Knicks long-term to the extent of not allowing himself the chance to see if there are better options.

I’m not saying whether he or anyone else debated which word to use. I wouldn’t be surprised either way.

In other words, he would prefer re-signing in New York, but there are other choices. He does not have other choices if he doesn’t opt out.

One can want to stay in New York and also want to have other choices. One can love his job and want to see if there’s a better one.

In other words, his comments are not “straightforward and simple,” let alone “extremely straightforward and simple.”

Maybe I’m just more accustomed to Melo’s malapropisms and slightly wrong word choices after all of these years.

To me, when I pair Melo saying his first priority is to stay in New York with he wants to test free-agency, I don’t think, ‘wow, an oxymoron, these are two inherently contradictory thoughts, he must not have any idea what he wants to do.’ I think, ‘hey, there must be an easy way to infer what he really means.’

Substituting the word priority with choice — which aren’t that far apart in the continuum of sports cliches — and all of it passes logic and reasoning tests upon literal interpretation.

Yes, from the reference of players speaking about their futures, Melo’s explanation is very simple and straightforward.

Yeah, it would really be something to see Melo play on a team where he doesnt have to create as much and can just work off other players more. He has really become an excellent spot-up shooter.

It’s so infuriating to watch him go iso iso post post when he’s so freaking good as the PNR roll man whether it’s rolling or popping. Melo PNP for 3 is so good whether he takes the 3 or attacks the closeout.

Makes you realize (even more) that it’s offensive design and the sucktitude of our guards that is dragging this offense down.